GM Keim doing a GREAT JOB so far in Free Agency!

[AZCardsWin]

We have to be realistic and remember our offense was horrible most of last year (mainly depth issues) and defense played great but also had its moments of futility (surrendering 58 pts to Seattle). As great as Patrick Peterson was on special teams in 2011, that unit didnt accomplish much last year either.

So begins free agency!

QB Drew Stanton - upgrade over QB Lindley & QB Skelton.
RB R. Mendenhall - upgrade over B.Wells (better blocker & receiver)
WR J.Cribbs - upgrade over Doucet as #4 WR. (plus KR/PR stud & runs Wildcat)
LB L.Alexander - See Above. ST needs upgrade and Alexander best ST player in NFL.
S Y.Bell - not an upgrade over Rhodes but will be "QB" of the defense as he understands DC Bowles system and will teach it to younger guys.
CB J.Powers- very similar to Toler so there shouldnt be a drop off.

All in all in the first 48hrs of free agency the Cardinals upgraded the roster while taking control of the salary cap of the team. The biggest impact so far will be on Special Teams as Alexander and Cribbs will truly effect field position.

Go Cardinals!
-Tim
@SheriffK9NJ

 

[DRVNFAST]

I'm excited! Might not be the sexiest free agency period we've had but the team is building for the future by cutting dead weight and moving forward. If we suck this year, so be it. I doubt we will suck in 14'. Remember this is the same BA that took a Colts team to the playoffs with around the same level of talent and rookie QB following a 1-15 season.

 

[kerouac9]

It's hilarious that people are looking at only additions and not the subtractions in evaluating the new league year.

-Adrian Wilson
-Kerry Rhodes
-Greg Toler
-William Gay
-Beanie Wells
-Stewart Bradley
-Kevin Kolb
-Paris Lenon
-Michael Adams

+Drew Stanton
+Rashard Mendenhall
+Courtney Jerroud Powers
+Joshua Cribbs
+Rashad Johnson
+Yeremiah Bell
+Alonzo... Jackson?

The only possible upgrades are more money in the team's coffers (which I really don't care about), and a mild upgrade at RB.

Not sure where the ALLCAPS and exclamation points are earned.

 

[Jetstream Green]

We have to be realistic and remember our offense was horrible most of last year (mainly depth issues) and defense played great but also had its moments of futility (surrendering 58 pts to Seattle). As great as Patrick Peterson was on special teams in 2011, that unit didnt accomplish much last year either.

So begins free agency!

QB Drew Stanton - upgrade over QB Lindley & QB Skelton.
RB R. Mendenhall - upgrade over B.Wells (better blocker & receiver)
WR J.Cribbs - upgrade over Doucet as #4 WR. (plus KR/PR stud & runs Wildcat)
LB L.Alexander - See Above. ST needs upgrade and Alexander best ST player in NFL.
S Y.Bell - not an upgrade over Rhodes but will be "QB" of the defense as he understands DC Bowles system and will teach it to younger guys.
CB J.Powers- very similar to Toler so there shouldnt be a drop off.

All in all in the first 48hrs of free agency the Cardinals upgraded the roster while taking control of the salary cap of the team. The biggest impact so far will be on Special Teams as Alexander and Cribbs will truly effect field position.

Go Cardinals!
-Tim
@SheriffK9NJ

I'm a big fan of Cribbs and like what he brings, though limited and that limitation is that in no way is he an upgrade over Doucet from a purely WR position. Cribbs cannot catch well or remotely run routes as well as Doucet. That is Cribb's problem, how do you get him the ball in a extended fashion so he can be dynamic. I do not question what he can do once he secures the ball, but finding ways to get him the ball is difficult from what I had seen in Cleveland. I like the signing but it comes with its drawbacks as well due to the nature of his skill set. It is an adventure getting him the ball but a charge when he does have it LOL

 

[Shane]

Why do people keep saying Cribbs is an upgrade at #4 WR compared to Doucet?? HE IS NOT AN UPGRADE!

 

[joeshmo]

Definitely would not say great. Not upset or angry either.

If all we do this year is not sign a Stewart Bradley, Colledge, or Snyder type contract this year we are light years ahead of where we were from years past philosophically.

 

[NJCardFan]

Not 1 offensive lineman so all of the FA signings mean nothing until we upgrade the OL and not one has been signed. There have been plenty available and signed by other teams so why haven't we brought any in? IMO it's still Whiz/Graves running the show.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I think it is clear that Keim, Arians and Co. have a plan and are executing to it. IMO they have made all of the right moves so far. However there are still a ton of moves that need to be made before we can say that we have a team.

Are they doing a 'Great Job'... Only time will tell. Way too early to claim victory or defeat.

 

[Azlen]

The only minus that I didn't completely buy into was Rhodes. As much as I love Wilson, he's on the downside of his career and is not the same player he was in year's past. Everyone else was in that average to below average range and could easily be replaced.
I don't see that they are bringing in anybody in the above average range though either, but new staffs do this sort of thing.
I'm not overly excited about the changes, but I'm not jumping off of a bridge either.

 

[Chopper0080]

It's hilarious that people are looking at only additions and not the subtractions in evaluating the new league year.

-Adrian Wilson
-Kerry Rhodes
-Greg Toler
-William Gay
-Beanie Wells
-Stewart Bradley
-Kevin Kolb
-Paris Lenon
-Michael Adams

+Drew Stanton
+Rashard Mendenhall
+Courtney Jerroud Powers
+Joshua Cribbs
+Rashad Johnson
+Yeremiah Bell
+Alonzo... Jackson?

The only possible upgrades are more money in the team's coffers (which I really don't care about), and a mild upgrade at RB.

Not sure where the ALLCAPS and exclamation points are earned.

The big issues for me is #2 CB and both safety positions. I am ok with the band-aid we put on the QB and RB positions, but I wonder how much of a priority those positions will be when we draft. The issue becomes how many holes will we have once the draft comes. If it is one or two, I will be more confortable with the direction of this team. If our roster remains as is, we are in trouble.

 

[Azlen]

Not 1 offensive lineman so all of the FA signings mean nothing until we upgrade the OL and not one has been signed. There have been plenty available and signed by other teams so why haven't we brought any in? IMO it's still Whiz/Graves running the show.

I think it's clear that they are going to target the OL in the draft. I expect two of our first three picks to be starting OL's.

 

[Stop Whining]

As far as -/+ players its a wash. Maybe more durable along with savings with better managed contracts. Only departed high profile players with any name recognition outside AZ was Wilson & Rhodes. Lets see what the final product looks like along with being coached up at the end of the season before we start making comparisons.

 

[kerouac9]

As far as -/+ players its a wash. Maybe more durable along with savings with better managed contracts. Only departed high profile players with any name recognition outside AZ was Wilson & Rhodes. Lets see what the final product looks like along with being coached up at the end of the season before we start making comparisons.

So, you agree, the front office is not doing a "Great job." They're at best holding steady with the talent of a 5-11 team while taking on salary obligations in the future.

 

[NJCardFan]

I think it's clear that they are going to target the OL in the draft. I expect two of our first three picks to be starting OL's.

Stocking the offensive line with rookies. There's a piece of news. Usually takes a rookie O-lineman 3 seasons before they're effective if you're not named Tony Munoz. 1 rookie starter makes sense but 3 spells disaster unless they're all can't miss studs like Levi Brown...oh, wait.

 

[DRVNFAST]

Why do people keep saying Cribbs is an upgrade at #4 WR compared to Doucet?? HE IS NOT AN UPGRADE!

Thats your opinion and you are certainly entitled to it. In the few Browns games I watched I didn't seem to recall Cribbs ever falling down into the endzone for no reason. Add to the fact that Cribbs can play ST and isn't nearly as fragile as Mr. Glass, ahem Mr. Doucet. It's easy for me to see why some consider him an upgrade.

 

[MadCardDisease]

So, you agree, the front office is not doing a "Great job." They're at best holding steady with the talent of a 5-11 team while taking on salary obligations in the future.

Personally I think the Subtractions are the "great job" so far. They made some tough choices but I believe they were the right choices.

However this thread is more about the additions. IMO the additions are incomplete and only time will tell what we have added so far will be good or not. So personally I don't think you can claim they are doing a "Great Job" at this point because it's all speculation.

 

[Stop Whining]

So, you agree, the front office is not doing a "Great job." They're at best holding steady with the talent of a 5-11 team while taking on salary obligations in the future.

Do I wish we could sign high profile players and fill all our needs? Absolutely! Unfortunately the Cards bank dont allow it. I dont know what Graves & Co. did to put the org into this mess but I do know Kiem & Co are trying to fix the problem. Like I said before. Its gonna be a thin couple yrs especially in this Div but I have more hope Arians now will turn this club around and make me proud to be a Cardinal Football fan again.

 

[crisper57]

Cares Make Schein's List of FA "Likes" and "Dislikes"

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap10...-welker-situation-titans-crushing-free-agency

9) Love three Arizona Cardinals moves ... dislike one
When I wrote a few weeks ago that Drew Stanton was the second-most underrated free agent out there, I said he could reunite with Bruce Arians in Arizona. The Cardinals made it happen. Stanton has talent, but he's been in bad situations. He will be given every opportunity to start in the desert.

I also like the Cardinals bringing in safety Yeremiah Bell, a physical player and run stopper who was also a team leader with the Jets last year after a long tenure in Miami. Plus, general manager Steve Keim is reportedly closing in on a deal with the versatile Josh Cribbs.

I didn't like the Rashard Mendenhall move. Sure, he is back with Arians, whom he played under in Pittsburgh. But I just don't trust Mendenhall as a player or worker or teammate. I wrote last week that I'd rather play with 10 men on offense than put Mendenhall at running back.

It must be noted that the no-nonsense Arians wanted Mendenhall. However, I think a healthy Ryan Williams beats him out.

 

[JeffGollin]

Cribbs deal is still not official.

 

[crisper57]

Somers Blog Post on the Deals So Far...

http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/k...re-active-wednesday-are-they-better-thursday/

QB Drew Stanton replaces Kevin Kolb/John Skelton/Ryan Lindley

Upgrade? No.

ILB Lorenzo Alexander replaces Paris Lenon

Upgrade? Yes.

RB: Rashard Mendenhall replaces Beanie Wells

Upgrade? At this point, it looks like a push.

S Yeremiah Bell, Rashad Johnson replace Adrian Wilson, Kerry Rhodes

Upgrade? The answer right now is no.

CB Jerraud Powers replaces William Gay

Upgrade? Yes.

There is more analysis in the blog and it is a pretty good read for anyone willing to spend one of their 20 free articles on AZcentral for the month.

 

[Garthshort]

I have my FINGERS CROSSED, but why should we have ANY HOPE that Stanton is a starting NFL QB?

 

[Doc Cardinal]

I have my FINGERS CROSSED, but why should we have ANY HOPE that Stanton is a starting NFL QB?

i'm hoping we get lucky in the draft.....that is if we actually draft a QB.

 

[Sam Wise]

Honestly we haven't upgraded a single postition yet and stepped back in some.

Decidedly we have stepped back at Safety, in a major way. Teams will beat us like a drum for passing next year, 300 + a game.

#2 CB, hate to say this but, Powers vs. Toler, not even equal, if Powers was any good the Colts would not have let him go for Toler.

LB Alexander vs. Paris Lenon, how many freaking ST guys do we need isn't that what Bethel's specialty was. He is younger, but Lenon was a good veteran. Seems like a Stewart Bradley signing, but less costly.

Stanton vs. Kolb...... not exciting either way.

Mendenhall vs. Williams(let's discuss starters not Wells), Meh same freaking guy.

Cribbs is strictly a return guy so we don't get PP killed, hope we didn't pay him too much.

We get a D for FA thus far, we have signed garbage and let some much better players walk, and yes some didn't want to be here, but that's what trades are for(just ask Percy).

Hope we do better in the draft, but hope in one hand and s#!& in the other and which fills faster.

 

[crisper57]

Compared to the Dolphins, I love Keim's handling of Free Agency:

ProFootballTalk ‏@ProFootballTalk
2013 total cap number for 5 new Dolphins multi-year deals: $12.725M. 2014 total cap number: $43.275M http://wp.me/p14QSB-7CGt

They are putting themselves into a potential cap hell next year, just to put an average-to-above-average team on the field. Still won't challenge the Pats this year, and next year, they may be hamstrung by some of these contracts.

 

[D-Dogg]

Why do people keep saying Cribbs is an upgrade at #4 WR compared to Doucet?? HE IS NOT AN UPGRADE!

Over DOUCET? He most certainly is. Both at WR and giving an added bonus of kick returns, replacing both Early's role (but better) and LaRod's role (but better).

Of course, we haven't signed him yet.